Smoked Two Cigarettes 48 Hours Before BA Surgery is that OK?

Thank you for your question.  As I'm sure your surgeon has explained, nicotine in cigarette smoke (and e-cigarettes, patches, gums, etc.) causes constriction of the small vessels that supply blood to all tissues and as a result can significantly impair wound healing.  That said, 2 cigarettes 48 hours prior to breast augmentation (a low-risk procedure) is fairly insignificant, and unlikely to have any effect whatsoever on your outcome.  Good luck with surgery!

Most experts unanimously agree that smoking increases the rate of breast augmentation surgical complications significantly. Just about all plastic surgeons strongly recommend women to stop smoking and all nicotine products well in advance of breast augmentation with breast implants. Many plastic surgeons recommend stopping all tobacco products several months prior to surgery.Here is the reason why: the nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products (including Nicorette gum, patches, etc) is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it makes the Smoking is a significant multiplier of many potential complications following surgery and breast augmentation with implants are no exception. Nicotine from smoking causes blood vessels to vasoconstrict ( tighten up). Over time, these constricted arteries and capillaries deliver less blood to the breast tissue which is needed for normal healing. Smokers therefore have an increased incidence of higher likelihood of complications such as infection, and in particular capsular contracture (hardening and distortion of the implants). General complications of surgery such as blood clots, anesthetic problems such as pneumonia are also increased. A scientific article in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicated that, among all forms of surgery, quitting smoking eight weeks prior was never associated with an increased risk of complications.In young patients you will probably statistically avoid these complications, why tempt fate by increasing your odds that something bad will happen.On a long term basis, smoking also causes accelerated aging of the skin and loss of elasticity. Hopefully these reasons will help give you the will power and courage to stop smoking.

Thank you for your question. Smoking before or after your surgery can increase your risk of developing complications including infection and wound healing problems. I tell my patients that it is ideal to stop a couple months ahead of surgery and then for a couple months after surgery.

Smoking affects your ability to heal, and I recommend that you stop smoking at least two weeks before your surgery to adequately prepare your body. However, you should ask your surgeon for their advice. They may recommend your surgery be postponed.

Hello! Thank you for your question! The issue with nicotine is that it also acts as a vasoconstrictor, clamping down of blood vessels. Blood supply is always of great concern during any surgical procedure, but especially in such a procedure as breast surgery where the viability of the nipple-areolar complex is obviously important. Since the vascularity to the area is already tenuous since it will be raised by cutting around the area, maximizing blood flow to the tissue is critical. Typically, we recommend at least 6 weeks of smoking cessation prior to any surgical procedure. Nicotine always increases the risk for infection and wound complications, as well as other health consequences. These couple cigarettes will likely not impact vascularity, but I would discuss this with your surgeon prior to your procedure.  Some surgeons will refuse to operate on smokers due to increased risk of infection, wound complications, scarring issues, blood clots, let alone the pulmonary complications that can occur with general anesthesia and afterwards.  Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

Fortunately, smoking does not have the same kind of negative impact on a breast augmentation as it does on a breast lift.  So, unless you are having a lift with your BA, you shouldn't be at a significantly higher rate of risks.  I would, of course, advise quitting afterwards.

 

Hope everything goes well for you.

Here are the major points of smoking Tobacco or Marijuana before or after surgery:1. There is nicotine in tobacco, but not in marijuana. However, most joints are rolled with marijuana and tobacco combination. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor that decreases blood flow to the tissues. This is the major problems that can cause a very bad outcome in some surgeries. In a breast augmentation, there is not a lot of risk as there are not a lot of incisions which decrease blood flow to the tissues. In a breast lift or tummy tuck, on the other hand, there is much longer and more involved incisions. The decrease in blood flow to the tissues in combination with the decrease in blood flow from the nicotine can cause tissue to die. This can cause part of the breast or nipple, or in the case of a tummy tuck, part of the belly tissue to die, resulting in a very bad outcome. Marijuana without tobacco does not cause this problem, or marijuana in an edible fashion. Vaporizers do not decrease the amount of nicotine in tobacco, only decrease the smoke.2. There is carbon monoxide in both tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke. Carbon monoxide decreases the oxygen carrying capacity of hemoglobin in the blood. This is different from the vasoconstrictor effect, but has the same result of having the risk of tissue death in conjunction with surgeries that decrease the blood flow to tissues such as breast lifts and tummy tucks, as opposed to an augmentation alone that does not decrease blood flow to as great of an extent. Again, edible forms of marijuana do not have smoke, and thus carbon monoxide poisoning.3. Coughing. Both tobacco and marijuana smoke disrupt the lining of the lungs and bronchi and can lead to coughing episodes. Coughing episodes can lead to internal bleeding after surgery that can lead to hematomas and complications, and again a bad outcome. Again, edible forms of marijuana does not have this effect.4. Anesthesia effects. Marijuana can have drug interactions with certain anesthetic drugs. Thus it is important to tell your anesthesiologist about your marijuana use.In conclusion, Smoking, whether it be tobacco or marijuana, is detrimental to your surgery outcome. Edible marijuana is much less so, but be honest about your use with your surgeon and anesthesiologist so that you can have the best outcome. In general, you should quite smoking many weeks, ideally 6 weeks before surgery, and not smoke for at least 2 weeks after surgery.Best wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD

Thank you for the question.

Fortunately, it is very likely that you will do well  with the breast augmentation procedure despite smoking.  This does not necessarily hold true for patients undergoing more extensive surgery such as breast lifting, tummy tuck,  or face lifting surgery.

Of course, best to address this question directly with your plastic surgeon who is also responsible for care.

Best wishes.

Smoking is clearly not a good thing because it affects wound healing.  Clearly, your pre-op nerves manifested themselves this way!!  I recommend that you contact your plastic surgeon to discuss this because he must decide whether this is within his comfort level, rather than the RealSelf panel.  Best of luck.

Smoking is bad, and can impede healing and be a problem for cosmetic procedures, but the lick of it is that the risk of smoking and poblems with breast augmentation are very few. You need not cancel your surgery.